Field of Invention
This invention relates to inflatable PVC craft designs, for ages infant to ninety, which are ergonomically designed with embodiments that seriously address comfort, ease of use and function, incorporating an underwater viewing system wherein the lenses are of a material that allow the lenses to be sonic welded in place, to collectively form an underwater viewing window that is integrally one with the craft, including a unique and innovative pillow design that supports a users head and face, when lying prone, like never before, in an non-confined manner, well above the top lens of the viewing window placing the user's eyes centered over the top lens of the integral viewing window
Description of Prior Art
It is well known that many people cannot use conventional dive masks and snorkels, especially babies and toddlers. This is apparent by the number of devices, crafts, and apparatuses that have emerged to allow adults to view below the water.
The commercial possibilities of such devices were obviously realized and prior art began to appear. Problems early on were apparent and obvious for one skilled in the art.
These inventions are as follows.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,220 issued Feb. 4, 1997 to Nico Smith describes an underwater viewing device with a transparent convex or concave element located in a buoyant cavity that is filled with water.
This device is a costly injected molded piece. The device is turned over then submerged in the water then turned over while under the water. The buoyancy ring around the transparent convex/concave element then floats the device to the surface, creating a vacuum that holds the water within the transparent dome. This device is small because it would take an excessive amount of buoyancy to float the vacuum of a larger device. Wading with the unit, the user can easily look straight down into the unit since the viewing is directly through a dome. It would not work for one swimming with this device in that one swimming could not rise up from the water enough to look straight down into the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,675,964 issued Jul. 3, 1928 to C. G. Weinreich describes an underwater viewing device for locating submerged bodies.
This device is large and would be used alongside a boat or barge and would not, be used in shallow water. The upper eye sockets along with a clear pane sealed at the lower end of the tube is required to prevent light from entering the viewing tube and causing a light refracting, view blocking glare. One could not swim with this device.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,911,878 issued Nov. 10, 1959 to G. E. Vernier describes an underwater viewing device of an elongated tube structure having an eyepiece and a viewport at respectively opposite ends constricted to minimum viewing dimensions to reduce buoyancy or otherwise weight. This device very large and requires eye sockets atop the unit, plug by the users face to eliminate extraneous light. There are two clear panes at the lower end of this device that are slightly spaced apart and sealed water tight within the unit. This double pane is to prevent the lower pane from forming condensation. Being one skilled in the art, the chamber between the two clear panes is not a vacuum or filled with a gas or fluid. That inter chamber would form condensation with climate changes.
U.S. Patent 2006/0035545 A1 issued Feb. 16, 2006 to James D. Boley describes an underwater viewing apparatus which includes a hollow housing having a first end engage with a water surface, an opposed second end and a sloping conical portion connecting the first end and the second end, elevating the second end to a predetermined distance from the water surface. A transparent pane member is mounted in a watertight manner with the first end of the housing and engages the water surface enabling viewing of the underwater environment. A face guard is attached to the second end for preventing light from entering the interior portion of the housing and causing a glare on the pane member.
The face of the user is used to plug the hole of the second end in a goggle or dive mask flange configuration to stop glare. This negates its use by those suffering from claustrophobia. This device is quite large and one cannot swim or travel with it. It is mentioned that this invention is operated in a free standing fashion and by a single person operating a moveable, motorize watercraft. To one skilled in the art, having ones face plugged into the upper end of this device while operating a motor watercraft seems a bit dangerous.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,730,921 issued Jan. 17, 1956 to H. W. Little describes an underwater viewing device which may be collapsed for storage or travel. This is done by means of a telescoping tube, a spring loaded tube formed of rubber, plastic, or other flexible waterproof material. In one embodiment, the piece is curved to accept the users face. Another embodiment employs a glass lens, sealed water tight, at the upper and lower ends of the tube, with the same curved upper end to house the users face. In use, the handles are grasped, both to keep it from falling over, and keep the lower end of the device submerged below the surface of the water. The user then positions his face into the upper curved end of the device, so that outside light is shut out from the interior of the viewing area allowing then, and only then, the user to see objects below the surface of the water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,558 issued Sep. 21, 1999 to Raymond W. Osak describes another tubular underwater viewing device. This device is used during ice fishing, permitting a user to see underwater through a hole in the ice. This invention employs a single clear pane at the lower end of the tube with an upper viewing area. The lower clear pane is housed within a flange which is made water tight by use of an elastomeric O ring and the upper end is a lid extending over the top portion of the tube coupled with an eye guard as described in the patent. The eye guard design, as noted in the patent, is for the user to place their face within to block external light from entering the tube that would cause a view blocking glare. It is a further embodiment that a cover, attached by a hook and loop fastener to the eye guard, go over the users head to block external light. This device is again large and designed for stationary use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,783 issued Mar. 27, 1979 to Ronald J. Rhodes describes an underwater viewing device for use by a person standing in relatively shallow water and comprising a central transparent viewing window peripherally surrounded by a support structure which floats the device and keeps the transparent pane below the water's surface. The support structure or floatation ring houses one or more storage compartments. A light affecting element is disposed within the support structure adjacent the window. To one skilled in the art, this is a costly device to manufacture, especially the water tight construction necessary for the lighting element. This lighting element is also stationary. It cannot be adjusted for varying water depths. There is also no means to prevent extraneous water from entering the viewing area. So consequently, one could not swim with this device in deep water. If or when, extraneous water was splashed onto the single transparent pane the view below the water would end and the user would be forced back to shallow water to remove the obstruction. The device is obviously too large to pack into a suit case.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,547,238 B1 issued Jun. 16, 2009 to Michel Mclancon describes a floatable water board with an underwater viewing assembly for supporting at least an upper portion of a user lying on the board when in a body of water. The board is formed of a flotation body construction of buoyant material. A viewing cavity is provided in the flotation body disposed in a forward region of the flotation body. A transparent pane is sealed and retained at the bottom end of the viewing cavity. An inflatable circumferential flotation collar assembly is secured about the cavity flexible and extendable section “scalingly” engaged about the viewing cavity and deployed above the top surface of the flotation body to prevent extraneous water from entering the viewing cavity. Being one skill in the art, one look at this flotation device and one can see just how uncomfortable it would be to use. To lie on the board keeping your head suspended above and over the viewing cavity would be neck breaking. The other approach of propping yourself up on your elbows, as FIG. 2 shows, would fatigue users and preclude many people with physical limitations from using the device, such as the elderly and the physically impaired or just adults in general. Furthermore, you cannot travel with this device or use lying supine.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,397,456 issued Jun. 11, 1975 to Arthur Wyatt Warren describes a buoyant board of buoyant material comprising a rigid, substantially flat elongated base portion having a pair of generally longitudinally extending fins projecting from the underside surface thereof and a watertight transparent window therein. When the board is floating on the water, a person lying on the board is able to see into the water beneath the board. Preferably, the window is formed adjacent one end of the base portion, this one end serving as the front or bow end of the board and being raised to the remainder of the base portion for restricting the passage of water over and onto the window when the board is propelled forwardly through the water. This invention is again costly to manufacture requiring expense tooling of molds and the manufacture and insertion of the viewing window into the craft. The window also is of a two pane design, a top pane and bottom pane, sealed water tight, encapsulating a small space or walled cavity between them. This design, with climate changes, will produce condensation that cannot be removed once there. Nor does this invention address comfort in anyway, only function.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,819 issued Nov. 19, 1985 to Charles Correll describes a visual aid apparatus for viewing objects beneath the water's surface. The apparatus includes a relatively thin transparent sheet which is preferably circular. A buoyant, closed-wall member is secured in a leak proof manner to define a relatively shallow, pan-like container for floating on the surface of the water. This invention is primarily for pool cleaning and comes with an attached metal sleeve for a pool vacuum wade to be inserted through. The device moves with the vacuum through the water enabling the user to see what is being cleaned. Being one skilled in the art, this device can only be used in very calm water. It's mentioned that it could be used in shallow water for spear fishing, as would many underwater viewing devices. This device would be impossible to swim with and keep water out of the unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,451,096 issued Apr. 10, 1923 to Oscar Hagen describes a telescope for viewing underwater from a boat. The device is a very long conical shaped tube with a lens attached; water tight, to the bottom of the tube and the upper most portion of the viewing tube is curved to accommodate a user's face and eyes. It comes with a cloth hood to be draped over the users head to eliminate outside light from entering the viewing tube and causing view blocking glare. It comes also with a light attachment with an external switch and the light is secured in a non adjustable manner. This is again a large bulky device that one cannot swim with or travel with easily, such as air travel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,082 issued Sep. 30, 1997 to Emanuel Binder describes a floating underwater viewing device having a column with a first and second end, and a first viewing window and a second viewing window. The first viewing window is integrally formed with the first end of the column, and the second viewing window is integrally formed with the second end of the column to form a watertight viewing chamber. A first “toroidal” float and second “toroidal” float are disposed about the column. At least one of the first and second toroidal floats is slide ably attached to the column. This device is a multiple transparent pane design. Prior art with this type of design employed means to eliminate external light from entering the viewing area which would cause a glare between the top and bottom panes. Thus the glare would block ones view of the underwater world. This invention has no means of preventing glare which will occur with this device, unquestionably. Not to mention climate changes that would cause the inside of the watertight viewing chamber to form condensation and completely block the view. This device is large, bulky and would be costly to manufacture and would not be something one could pack in a suit case.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,658 issued Sep. 8, 1987 to Dane S. New describes an aquatic sport device that includes a buoyant board configured for supporting a user in a prone position thereon and sized to enable the user, supported thereby, to manually paddle while in a prone position. A sight opening is provided through the buoyant board in an optical system disposed therein enables a visual perception through buoyant board by the user when in a prone position. The optical system may include a first and a second transparent member with the first transparent member being supported by topside portions of the buoyant board at an acute angle with the second transparent member which is disposed in the buoyant board opening and generally parallel to the hull of the buoyant board. The angular relationship between the first and second transparent members enables the person looking there-through to perceive in a forward direction towards the bow of the buoyant board. The first transparent member is held at an elevated position above the paddle board deck portion and in an angular relationship therewith to enable a person in a prone position on the buoyant board deck portion to look forwardly into the sight compartment towards the buoyant boards bow. A boot or shroud, FIG. 80, made of a flexible material, such as plastic, synthetic rubber, or the like, page 4, paragraph 35, 40, 45, that is fitted around the first transparent member for engaging a user's head and thereby operative for substantially eliminating the entry of light and water between the users head and the first transparent member.
The flexible shroud being flexible would not support a users head. Requiring, with the first transparent member raised above the deck of the board, the user to hold their head up, even more so, over the first transparent member fatiguing the neck, shoulders and arms, while keeping their head in the flexible shroud to prevent extraneous light out. Furthermore, with the forward angled viewing chamber, the distance between the users eyes and the underwater features will be increased, not a snorkeling objective. In the detailed description, second paragraph, the craft is made of plastic or fiberglass and maybe filled with foam for add buoyancy. This constitutes a heavy and cumbersome boat like craft and one not suited for travel.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,165,186A issued Apr. 9, 1986 to Alan Johnson that describes a buoyant underwater viewing device that provides a device for a person to be supported on water and be able to view the underwater scenery by means of a transparent panel built into the device. The viewing area could consist of two transparent panels with one panel sealed, watertight, to top extreme of a void within the craft, flush with the top deck portion of the raft or device and one transparent panel at the bottom extreme of said void, flush with the bottom hull portion of the craft. Thereby, creating an air gap between the two transparent panels. Another embodiment is that this gap could be of solid transparent material. Function, again, is the only issue addressed here. What's more, the flotation device would have to be of a buoyancy thickness to support a user in the water. Thusly a solid transparent material within the void or cavity within the craft would require it to be of equal thickness, as depicted. A piece like this made of acrylic, poly carbon, or the like, would be extremely expensive. Holding ones head up over the viewing area, with no support, for any length of time would be for the very youthful to say the least.
U.S. patent issued Oct. 14, 1987 to Anthony James Myatt that describes a raft provided which will support a person lying face down, so that the person can peer into the water through a window at the bow end of the raft. The window FIG. 12 has the shape of the window of a well known type of goggle (not shown) used in the above mentioned activity of goggling. The window is in direct contact with the water on which the raft floats, so as to present a clear view into the water.
It appears that the well within the raft is covered or sealed at the bottom end of the well, contacting the water. Thereon are attached goggles with a clear panel within the goggles. Drawing 1 shows this goggle attached to the bottom of the well and it seems to be lower than the top deck portion of the raft. This, obviously, would require the user to put their head down into the well to contact the goggles in order to see below the water. This positioning, with the head and neck out of line with the spine, would be very uncomfortable, limiting use time. Not to mention, the goggles, being of a soft flexible material, would not support the weight of the users head. There is more given to the craft here, and its esthetics, than to comfort or the underwater viewing aspect of the craft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,055 issued Dec. 19, 1995 to Robin M. F. Hackett describes a watercraft with underwater viewing port having a hull with a viewing opening therein extending between upper and lower portion of the hull. A transparent viewing unit is fitted within the viewing opening and has a periphery space apart from side wall of the viewing opening to define a draining space between the side wall and the viewing unit. This provides a peripheral clearance extending generally around the unit for draining water through the hull. A cowl extends peripherally around the viewing opening and has a lower portion sealing the viewing opening to prevent passage of water and an upper portion to embrace portions of the users face to exclude extraneous light that would create glare.
Prior art using a single lower clear pane or top and bottom clear pane have used cowls or dive mask flange configurations to accept a user's face to block extraneous light that would cause a glare within the viewing area. This invention places the cowl or goggles in close proximity to the upper clear pane of the viewing area. The user placing the upper portion of their face into this inventions cowl and relaxing would not only be hot but the peripheral boundaries of the cowl against the users face would cause perspiration.
Furthermore, relaxing onto the cowl would put excessive pressure on the area where the cowl contacts the face causing the equivalent to what is called mask compression experienced when using a conventional dive mask. This leaves an uncomfortable, lasting, impressed ring around the users face. Glass, as shown, could not be used with this goggle design. Condensation forming with temperature changes is also an issue here. The comfort aspect of this craft cannot be fully achieved because of the main need to block extraneous light from the viewing unit. The craft here along with the viewing unit would be very expensive to manufacture.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,595 issued Jul. 4, 1989 to Robert B. Nealy describes a viewing device for flotation bodies that comprises a body having an interior defined by its side walls and at least one transparent end wall. In one embodiment using two transparent end walls, the transparent end walls define spaced-apart viewing ports, one port being normally above the surface of the water and the opposite port being below the surface of the water. The interior of the body is adapted to be substantially condensation free by evacuating the interior of the body and sealing the body in the evacuated condition or filling the body with a fluid to the exclusion of air so that condensation and air bubbles are thereby avoided. In a preferred embodiment the viewing device consists of a singular piece body having a single transparent end wall.
To one skilled in the art, comfort is not an addressed issue. A user must lie on the board and prop themselves up on their elbows in order to see down into the viewing port. Only the young or the very physically adapt could use this device for any length of time. Above, the interior body space between two transparent end walls is evacuated of air and sealed or water in that space could be used. Water permanently contained in that manner will grow algae. Additionally, expensive tooling is required to manufacture this viewing port.
U.S. patent issued Mar. 19, 1963 to W. M. Betts describes an underwater viewer which contemplates the provision of a relatively flat, hollow and buoyant float, preferably composed of fiberglass or of a material of similar characteristics, and provide with a flat top or deck upon which a bather can rest in a prone position, and with a raised tower or turret having a window at the bottom, provided on the float and positioned to receive the face of the float occupant and through which an underwater inspection is made available. The invention further contemplates the provision of means by which comfortable breathing by the user is had during his use of the viewing tower or turret.
The use of a turret or collar is used again to eliminate extraneous water. One must prop themselves upon their elbows to use the device. It is also an expensive and heavy product, being made of fiberglass.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,712,139 issued Jul. 5, 1955 to E. L. Kelly describing an underwater viewing device having an opening extending through the platform, said opening being closed adjacent its lower end by a transparent window, and having an upstanding collar member mounted on the upper surface of the platform surrounding said opening to support the face of the viewer while serving to exclude water which may splash on or flow over the upper surface of the platform.
There is nothing about these collars that form an ergonomic shape to comfortably accommodate a viewer's face. It is mention herein that a viewer could place their chin upon the collar. This would become uncomfortable in a short amount of time and would be nearly unusable if the viewer finds it necessary to breathe through their mouth.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,459 issued Sep. 5, 1995 to Norman R. Hammond describing an underwater viewing board for viewing underwater objects while an observer is lying in a prone position is of seamless, unitary construction, and has a viewing well extending through the body of the board that is integrally formed within the body. The body may be formed of rotomolded plastic. An upper end of the viewing well has a contoured shape that conforms generally to the contours of the human face. A transparent window is mounted at the lower end of the viewing well and may be recessed from the bottom of the board. In this configuration the opening at the top most extreme of the viewing area is unshielded which would allow water from such sources, as rain, to enter the viewing area onto the bottom transparent window. This, according to the craft design, would be very difficult to remove. Yet again the user must use their head to block out extraneous sunlight to avoid view blocking glare. It is further noticed, that the upper opening of the viewing well is said to have “a contoured shape that conforms generally to the contours of the human face. Again, light into the viewing well causes glare and the viewer must use their head to block out the glare causing light. Also the user must hold up their head while using the device to view below the water.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,569, B1 issued Jun. 5, 2001 to Kent Harkrider describing sea windows for rafts with an underwater observation device in combination with a buoyant craft provides an observer with a clear and unobstructed view of the underwater scenes. The underwater observation device comprises an upper transparent window, a lower transparent window, and a body portion disposed between the upper transparent window and the lower transparent window. The body portion has a centrally disposed cavity that is filled with a transparent fluid material and vent for permitting the ingress and egress of the transparent fluid. A person lying in a prone position on a buoyant craft can comfortably peer down into the water and enjoy the underwater scene.
This invention speaks of rigid crafts with unnecessary embodiments, complicated costly construction of the crafts and underwater viewing devices. The headrests are not designed properly, in that the aft perimeter wall of the headrest is practically 90 degrees to the upper transparent window. Noting the drawings, the user must position them forward passed the upper transparent window in order to place their forehead upon the headrest. This places their eyes looking into the headrest or, at best, looking down the forward wall of the viewing cavity. Furthermore this is a fixed headrest that would allow head, neck and spine alignment for only one particular user size. It cannot adjust to another users comfort level.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,572,424 issued Jun. 3, 2003 to Kent Harkrider which describes a personal swim craft with an underwater viewing area that has a liquid filled viewing area that is simply and inexpensively created within the craft requiring no tooling for molds or related costs. A walled cavity through the craft is sealed at its upper and lower openings with transparent panes. These panes are sealed in place without drilling or tapping holes or otherwise altering the surface of the panes.
This invention speaks of primarily rigid crafts which are very costly to manufacture, difficult to transport, and are for practical reasons, for only the rental market. Not to mention, the vertical shafts to either side of the headrest for the removal of bubbles from the lower transparent pane are an added cost to the craft and are unnecessary. An inflatable craft is also mentioned. I noted in this patent that the transparent panes were of acrylic or PVC, page 9 and FIG. 3. After this patent, I found that PVC is not that clear and to have two pieces of PVC to look through produces a very poor, cloudy, distorted view. I even checked out plexiglass. It has a bluish tint to it and looking through two pieces the view is discolored and obscured. Use of these materials eventually impedes clear underwater viewing.
In FIG. 3B a method of installing a rigid transparent pane in an inflatable craft is shown. Consisting of a perimeter piece of PVC that covers the peripheral ends of an acrylic or otherwise rigid clear pane and the PVC piece is electronically welded, so I said in my patent, to the craft with the clear pane sandwiched between the PVC piece and the craft. The craft is not the foundation for the lenses to rest on and be watertight. In an inflatable, the PVC expands and contracts with temperature changes and with inflating and deflating and the weight pressure of a user atop the craft creating outward movement of the craft, there is no way this installation could or would remain watertight. Especially to hold the water that would fill the expanse of the walled cavity, it would leak. Also in claim 16 it states that the transparent panes would be installed by means of electronic welding. None of the transparent material mentioned in this patent can be electronically or otherwise welded to PVC, plus sonic welding is used on PVC, according to the internet. Furthermore, the inflated embodiment shows rectangular transparent panes. Corners, on acrylics and the like, would break or crack. They must be rounded. The headrest with this craft is also of poor design. The aft peripheral wall of the headrest is again 90 degrees to the upper transparent pane. The user's eyes are not going to be centered, above the upper transparent pane.
FIG. 4 shows an inflatable craft with an exterior horse shoe shaped air chamber with an interior lateral air chamber. This design with the interior air chambers going all the way to the stern, without interruption, does not give adequate resistance to bending.